Coming back to The District from New York was a strange feeling. The city we live in seems more like a sleepy town. The girls are bursting with energy, despite the fact that we got back at midnight. They caught the New York bug (not that kind) and keep asking when we’re going to move there.

We won’t be moving any time soon, but I did learn a lot and we will certainly visit more often armed with these 10 important tidbits:

If you’ve got a stroller, take the bus. You may think it’s cool to be city-savvy and ride the subway, but trust me: you do not want to lug your stroller up and down the steps of the train stations. This is one area where the DC Metro is superior. DC takes elevators and escalators seriously, even providing alternate transportation if there’s an escalator outage. If you’re in New York with young kids, take the bus. Do it.

When it comes to germs, just give up. My kids cannot keep their hands out of their mouths no matter what I do: threats, bribes, beatings—nothing works. Want to know what 100 years of grit and grime tastes like? Ask Zana. She touched every single part of the New York subway system and then ate it.In her element

Taxidermy: it’s not just for hicks.I am fascinated by tattoos and have thought, for the past 10 years, thinking about what kind I want. New Yorkers don’t share my dilemma. They just stop at a tattoo parlor and get the first thing that comes to mind. Don’t believe me? Check out this girl’s taxidermy tattoo: Exhibit AJust a guess, but I don’t think she kills animals. Brooklynites have more tattoos per capita than any other place on the planet—and that includes Marine Corps Bases.

All vegans must move to The City. From hipster vegan restaurants to falafel shops and diners, every place has at least one delicious vegan option. I wasn’t sure I’d survive a weekend in New York without pizza, but here I am enjoying my falafel food coma. Pizza? Who needs it? (ha)

Zombies don’t give a warning call. Just because someone looks like they’ve had their face smashed in and is covered in blood, doesn’t mean they’re hurt. After Dave and I argued about whether to call an ambulance for a guy with a massive head wound, we found out he was fine; he was just a zombie who had risen from the dead. He and his kind were in Brooklyn for a bar crawl and left a bloody path of destruction in their wake. Fear.net has some great pictures of the event here. I’ll be sure to mark my calendar for next time.

“I’ll meet you at the coffee shop,” really means “I’ll meet you at The Coffee Shop.” Or The Donut Shop, or The Grocery Store. Whatever marketing strategist came up with this was a genius. Why waste time thinking up fancy shmancy names? Just say what it is and people will come.NYC street food

The parking gods don’t hate me after all. Not only did we have a place to park our car all weekend, but it was right down the street from where we were staying and it was free! Is that even legal?! (Note: if this happens to you, do not move your car. You will never find a space again. Ever.)

I am not a cat person. Ok, I already knew this but our weekend stay with my friend’s two sphynx catsreinforced it. I just can’t deal with animals walking on kitchen counters. Not to mention, Zana is so violently allergic that she coughs until she throws up whenever she’s around them. We learned that this weekend. Fun.Couldn't keep her away

My husband might be Jewish. While walking down Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, he was asked not once, not twice, but three times by Orthodox Jews, if he were one of them. Maybe it’s the size of his shnaz (my mom’s Jewish, so I’m allowed to make racist comments) or the Matzo ball soup stains on his shirt (he loves that stuff). Whatever it was, Dave had every Jew within a 6 block radius on high alert. When he told them he wasn’t, they seemed disappointed. “But what about me?! Am I not giving off the vibe?!” It’s like I’m invisible…

There’s no such thing as comfort footwear. I tried them all this weekend: Flip-fops, sandals, tennies, my adorable new platform wedges—they all hurt.Can you believe these weren't comfortable?!How do sassy NY natives manage to look so fashionable all the time? They must get a $25 mani/pedi every day (yes, they’re that cheap). I would, if I could find a discount place in DC. If anyone knows the secret to comfortable feet, please let me know.

The Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps, the Empire State… we saw it all this weekend. From our little home away from home Stuyvesant Town (aka Stuy-town), we pretended to be New Yorkers. That meant lots of time at the parks, eating fantastic (cheap) food and trying to fit in with the natives.

The Parks

Traveling with kids, as we often do, there’s usually one mission in mind: find a park. After this weekend, I could write a book about the parks in The City— well, Dave could and I’d provide lots of great pictures. In a city filled with the world’s tallest buildings, they’ve certainly managed to carve out some beautiful green spaces.

Stuy-Town Parks (the Oval, et al.)
As we waited in the rain for the keys to my friend’s place (thanks, Dawn!), we took full advantage of what the neighborhood has to offer. Fountains, playgrounds, basketball courts, splash parks— there was so much to do! It felt like Sesame Street—friendly neighbors and the air is sweet! We started an impromptu, barefoot soccer game; it was Dave and me vs. the girls. They won. And I spent the rest of the weekend begging for a rematch.

Don't Let Her Size Fool You...Central ParkThis is, hands-down, the best park I’ve ever visited. It’s easy to pick out the New Yorkers because they’re laying out in open fields, half naked, soaking up the sun. The girls fit right in, opting for bathing suits instead of actual clothes. They ran through brick forts, got drenched in the sprinklers, ate cotton candy and gave money to the mimes. Lira bonded with the ballerina mime and they curtsied and blew each other kisses. All this and we barely scratched the surface of Central Park; we didn’t ride the carousel, take a boat or carriage ride, and didn’t get our faces painted. We’re saving those for next time.

Bryant ParkThis stop was a special request from Lira, a girl after my own heart. What’s not to love about a park in the middle of the fashion district? Since we missed the Central Park carousel, Lira got to ride the one in Bryant Park twice. Zana played in the outdoor library and threw rocks at the other kids. Oh the joys of the terrible 2s. I enjoyed a great view of more sunbathing New Yorkers while eating a salad and wishing I could have some of the girls’ ice cream. It’s a beautiful reprieve from nearby Times Square.

They sunbathe at Bryant Park, tooThe Food

We don’t do much planning for our trips to New York. Who needs to? Everything you’d ever want is close and convenient. When we’re hungry, we eat. And it’s usually nowhere fancy. There are three types of places you can enjoy with your family at this stage in life.

New and Trendy
Dave and I enjoyed grabbed a bite to eat at Bite on 14th Street. Our vegan sandwich was divine and we seriously considered buying another one to take home for later. Warning: if you choose this option, you are at risk of the hipster evil eye. But don’t let that stop you. You’re entitled to a healthy, organic, vegan, cage-free meal with a minimal carbon footprint just as much as they are. The restaurant owners are happy to put up with your children in the name of capitalism; it’s the clientele who don’t want to encounter life’s realities in their bohemian bliss.

Cheap, No Frills EthnicMamma Mia, pass the kebabs and the tamales! These are my favorite places to eat. You know the type—posters on the wall from the motherland, menu written in marker, satellite tv playing in the kitchen. My new favorite one of these joints is called Oasis. It’s in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and has the best falafel platter I’ve ever tasted. This stuff is so good that we drove out of our way to get more on our way out of town. The girls enjoyed meat and spinach pies. Oh, and did I mention it’s cheap? All four of us ate for less than 20 bucks.

Fabulous FalafelTraditional New YorkThink Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza at the 24 hour diner. These places have hard-to-remember names like “Diner” and “Breakfast All Day.” They’re on every corner and never disappoint. The ones we tried on this trip were The Coffee Shop and Eat Here Now. They were great—even for vegans. I’d tell you where they are so you could try them but—let’s be honest—they’re all the same. Tasty, cheap, and convenient.

The Natives

I don’t know if it was the cute kid factor or just sympathy for my broken wrist, but the New Yorkers were unexpectedly friendly. Everyone from the playground moms to the bus drivers to the store clerks bent over backward to be helpful. People were opening doors, picking up my kids when I couldn’t and making friendly conversation everywhere we went.

I recently read a post in the Village Voice about Rude Things New Yorkers Do and admittedly, I did witness one or two (or 27) of the things on this list—but overall, friendliness prevailed. And as for the rest of it– it’s New York! That’s just part of its charm.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, so just like most other Americans, we’re focusing less on the the whole “memorial” thing and more on the 3-day weekend. (Don’t worry,we remember our fallen soldiers quite often thanks to my former-Marine husband).

We decided to leave our tourist-infested city to go bother some other snobs who also hate tourists– New Yorkers!

We usually take the bus or Amtrak, but chose to drive this time; that meant a lot of “I’m boooorreeedd,” mostly from me. The girls were fine. I did take some cool pictures along the way to pass the time…

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel

Some bridge in DelawareSome other bridge in JerseyAnd finally, 5 hours later…

We made it!I started embracing my inner tourist just minutes after we got here, blasting the Rent soundtrack while snapping pictures of Avenue C. This weekend is going to rule!

There are a few things you’re probably wondering about, so let’s clear them up right now:

Did the girls wear tutus for the trip? Absolutely. Swimsuits, too. Which is a good thing because we got caught in an afternoon thunderstorm.

Are you still doing your vegan thing? You betcha! Fortunately, there are delicious vegan options on every corner. If I ever decide to do this permanently, we’d have to move here.

Is that purple cast still on your arm? Yes, but only until Tuesday! (side note: if you ever accidentally wear a dress that matches your cast, you will hear about it. All.Day.Long.

What kind of shoes are you wearing for all the walking in NY? Ok, you’re probably not wondering this but Dave was after noticing my flip flops. Since I didn’t bring any good walking shoes (hehe) we were forced to stop at DSW tonight to buy some… and also some platform wedges. What?! They’re comfortable!

If you saw Zana, right now, you probably wouldn’t recognize her. It’s the first time in months (seriously) that she’s not wearing a tutu. The amount of dancewear this child owns could clothe a small country.

Sad news, MomInDCity readers… I did not make the Top 10 Mommy Blogger list this year. (I’ll give you all a moment to wipe your tears.)

Since I just started blogging a couple of weeks ago, I’m handling the rejection pretty well, but I thought I’d at least get an honorable mention! I’d like to think that the folks at Babble.com who came up with the list won’t make the same mistake next year.

Online tax service H&R Block commissioned an infographic on mom bloggers, showcasing that Top 10 list along with some fascinating stats about bloggers who happen to be moms. First of all, there are almost 4 million of us in North America. That’s a crazy-lot, don’t you think?! Also, Salt Lake City has the highest percentage of mom bloggers; DC is tied with San Francisco for 5th place.

Before I make campaign posters to help ensure my spot on next year’s list, let’s go over some important reasons why I should be included:

1. I’m a mom.
2. I blog.
3. You can call me whatever you want. (A lot of moms who blog don’t want to be called “mommy bloggers” because they blog about a lot more than being a mommy. I will accept the “mommy blogger” title with pride– trust me, I’ve been called a lot worse.)
4. I’ll maintain the integrity of the crown as an “online icon for style, wit and honesty” (I also believe in world peace).
5. I’m pretty sure that’s my cartoon likeness at the top of the infographic. If I’m included on next year’s list, I won’t sue for using my image without written consent.

Here’s a look at the infographic and the impressive Top 10 list. I suppose these women’s blogs may be slightly more influential than mine. See for yourself and tell me who’s on your list of favorite bloggers.